Killer Bees Have Caused Over A Thousand Human Deaths (& More Unexpected Facts About Bees)
You probably know that bees play a crucial role in pollinating much of the food we eat, but have you ever paused to really marvel at these tiny wonders? Bees are nature's unsung heroes—complex, fascinating, and surprisingly emotionally nuanced (if you pay close attention, they can be quite endearing).
While every creature serves a purpose, bees operate on an entirely different level. Their environmental influence is huge, yet they often go unnoticed. These intriguing facts might change your perspective—so next time you hear that familiar buzz, you may be more inclined to appreciate rather than swat.
Queen BAE
Bee Fact: While every worker bee is female, only the Queen bee has the power to lay eggs. She maintains constant communication with the hive using her unique pheromones, which act like her signature scent. When needed, the Queen can lay up to 1,500 eggs in a single day.
That definitely puts the Duggar family from 19 Kids and Counting to shame—Mrs. Duggar averages about one baby per year, but the Queen bee can churn out more than 1,500 eggs every day!
"Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work" - Rihanna
Bee Fact: Worker bees have a tough gig. Besides handling all the tasks outside the hive, they also clean and feed the baby bees, tend to the queen, repair the honeycombs, and fan the hive to keep it at a comfortable temperature.
Meanwhile, the Queen bee's main job is to lay eggs—and she does so in impressive numbers.
The Male Bee Dies After Doin' It
Bee Fact: When a male honey bee mates, he dies right afterward.
It's wild to think that the male bee’s first and only mating leads to his death, but it’s true. After the act, his reproductive parts literally tear away, causing him to perish. Definitely not a great outcome for him!
Beyonce? That You?
Bee Fact: As soon as a new Queen hatches, she sets out to find and eliminate any other hatched or unhatched Queens in the hive.
If we thought humans were petty, we clearly haven't seen Queen bees in action. No, I’m not talking about Beyoncé—the real Queen Bey—though she can be petty too. This Queen means business and won’t hesitate to take out the competition to claim all the attention for herself.
Oh, Well That's Intere-STING
Bee Fact: Only worker bees can sting, and they do so only when threatened. Once they sting, it's a fatal move—they lose their stinger and die shortly after.
Interestingly, although the queen bee has a stinger, she never uses it because she stays inside the hive. It would take over 1,000 bee stings to be lethal to a person—that’s a whole swarm of bees!
Sharing Is Caring
Bee Fact: When a bee discovers a rich source of nectar, it doesn't keep it to itself. Instead, it heads back to the hive and shares the location with the rest of the colony. Bees are natural communicators, constantly exchanging crucial details about their environment.
Now imagine if people did the same. When was the last time a friend found an amazing clothing sale at the mall, rushed home just to tell you, and then went back with you so you could shop too? Exactly—pretty unlikely!
Wait, So You're Telling Me They're Real?
Bee Fact: "Killer bees" are actually a hybrid species—born from a cross between African honey bees and European honey bees. Scientists in Brazil developed them in the 1950s in hopes of boosting honey production.
The plan went off track when 26 swarms accidentally escaped containment. Since then, these bees have spread throughout South and Central America and even reached the United States. They're known for their heightened aggression and rapid response to threats—traits that have sadly led to over 1,000 human fatalities, along with the deaths of many horses and other large animals.
More People Get Injured By Rain Drops
Bee Facts: A 13-year study in Australia found that out of 42,000 hospitalizations from bites and stings, more than a third were caused by bees and wasps—the rest came from creatures like snakes and jellyfish. During that time, 64 people died as a result of stings, with bees responsible for 27 of those fatalities.
The average person can endure nearly 10 stings per pound of body weight, which means bee stings are rarely fatal unless someone has a severe allergy.
Drones Get The Short End Of Every Stick
Bee Fact: Drone bees are the males of the hive, and their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. Unlike the industrious female worker bees, drones don't help with gathering food or maintaining the hive—and let's just say they aren't known for their brains either. The queen, meanwhile, mates with several drones, storing more than 70 million sperm to use over her lifetime.
But when resources run low, the hive doesn't hesitate to evict the freeloaders. Since drones don’t contribute much beyond reproduction, they’re the first to be cast out. It’s a rough deal for a bee whose entire existence revolves around romance.
Drop The Beats
Bee Fact: That familiar buzzing sound bees make isn't from their mouths—it’s actually the result of their wings beating at an astonishing rate of over 11,400 times per minute!
For comparison, even a hummingbird—known for its rapid wing movement—only flaps around 5,000 times per minute. So while it may sound like bees are humming a tune, it’s really their supercharged wings doing all the work.
So I Guess Bees Aren't That Bad After All
Bee Fact: Bees are the only insects that create something edible for humans—honey.
This sweet treat varies in color and flavor, depending on the flowers the nectar was gathered from. Each type of honey brings its own distinct taste, making it a flavorful and diverse delight.
They're Nerds, They're Literally Nerds
Bee Fact: Though a bee's brain is roughly the size of a sesame seed, it’s relatively large compared to their body. This small, oval-shaped brain packs an impressive capacity for storing information.
Bees are capable of making complex calculations, such as measuring distances traveled and optimizing foraging routes. So, if you ever stumble upon a high school physics or math class taught by a honey bee, don’t be shocked—they’re smart and adaptable enough to tackle any challenge!
This Is A Serious Problem
Bee Fact: Honey bees are under a severe threat of extinction, and if they disappear, our food supply would suffer greatly—leaving us potentially stuck with very limited options like eating grass. The hopeful side is that bees possess remarkable evolutionary adaptations that have kept them thriving for over a million years.
While we're counting on these natural strengths to help them endure, urgent and significant action is needed soon because their situation is critical.
The Adaptability Transcends Planet Earth
Bee Fact: To appreciate just how adaptable bees are, look at the 1984 Challenger mission when 3,300 bees were confined in a small box in zero gravity. Remarkably, they adjusted seamlessly and even built a normal honeycomb while in space.
The only oddity? They didn't relieve themselves the entire seven days. Since bees don’t poop inside their hive, they held it in throughout the mission. Despite this, scientists observed that the space hive remained exceptionally clean.
Okay, This Is A Game Changer
Bee Fact: Honey bees have the surprising ability to recognize human faces by processing individual features and combining them into a whole—a method known as "configural processing," just like humans do.
That leads to an amusing thought: do bees have a concept of beauty? Could they prefer certain facial features over others? Maybe there's a perfect bee-approved ear shape or ideal cheekbone structure. Next time a bee hovers near your face, maybe it's not being nosy—maybe it's just admiring your bone structure.
Well, That's A Terrifying Myth
Bee Fact: Bees have been the center of many myths throughout history. It was once understood that if a bee entered your house it meant that you'd be getting a human visitor shortly after. If you killed the bee then that person wouldn't be someone you want to see. Safe to say many bees way back when were probably invited to stay for dinner out of fear.
Yes, this is just a myth and we're thankful for that. Can you imagine having to be hospitable to every bee inside your house? Green tea with extra honey for the guest, perhaps?
So You Think You Can Dance?
Bee Fact: Honey bees have a unique way of sharing information—they communicate through dance! When scout bees discover a fresh source of nectar or pollen, they return to the hive and bust out a little routine known as the "waggle dance" to tell the others exactly where to find it.
Honestly, humans could learn a thing or two from this. Just imagine if instead of heated debates, we resolved everything with dramatic dance-offs. Way less stress, way more style.
Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are
Bee Fact: There are 16,000 species of bees but only about five percent of those are seen. The most common of the "social bees" are the honey bees and as many as 80,000 can be found in a hive.
That's a lot of species of bees, and it begs the question about where these other bee species are. We need them to come out of hiding because there's a serious bee crisis happening. Come on, guys.
Short, And Sweet — Literally
Bee Fact: The average life of a honey bee during the working season is about three to six weeks. Meanwhile, the lifespan of a queen can get up to five years in length.
So, not only does the queen not have to do anything other than deliver babies, she also gets to live a lot longer than the worker bees. Even in bee-world, the working class get screwed over.
It's Not Worth It, It's Really Not Worth It
Bee Fact: On average, a bee will only generate one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
I'm very glad that we have officially determined that bees are slackers. One-twelfth of a teaspoon? REALLY? Paris Hilton did more to contribute to her father's empire then any bee has contributed to their hive. All of that work and nothing to show for it? I'm surprised more bees haven't defected to living the wasp life because they don't have to do anything.
